Brief History of Arizona Until Obtaining Statehood

The history of Arizona evolved from prehistoric inhabitants, to Spanish exploration, Arizona becoming a territory, and finally Arizona becoming a state. The start of the history of Arizona began over twenty thousand years ago with the prehistoric inhabitants. The written history began with the Spanish exploration. Through the Mexican War and the Gadsen Purchase, the United States gained the land of Arizona and New Mexico, which were combined into the Territory of New Mexico. In 1863 Arizona became a territory on its own, but didn't gain statehood until 1912.

Arizona history began over twenty thousand years ago with the prehistoric inhabitants, then moved onto the Native Americans. There are traces of an early agricultural civilization throughout the state. It is speculated that a great drought ended these prehistoric inhabitants. A later civilization, the Hohokam, established extensive irrigation canals using the Gila and Salt Rivers. Many of the canals in Phoenix follow the system established by the Hohokam Indians. The Pueblo Indians, which existed between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries, established nearly inaccessible cliff dwellings. The Apache and Navajo came into Arizona around the thirteenth century from Canada.

The history of Arizona continued with the Spanish explorations. In 1539 a Franciscan priest, Marcos de Niza, was sent to confirm the existence of the Seven Cities of Gold. De Niza's expedition was accompanied by the Moroccan slave, Esteban, and crossed into Arizona while following the Santa Cruz River. Esteban was sent ahead and after arriving at the Pueblo community of Hawikuh somehow offered an offense that he was slain for. Despite this incident, de Niza claims to have gone ahead to a point where he could spy upon the settlement. Upon his return to Mexico City, he claimed Hawikuh inhabitants wore gold beads and giant pearls.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado then led an army of three hundred men in 1540 to Hawikuh and finding that it was actually a tiny village without wealth, he and his soldiers stormed the village to steal their food supplies. One party of his expedition, led by Captain Lopez de Cardenas, then led his party west into Arizona searching for the mythical Northwest Passage that was supposed to lead to the Orient. Instead he found the Grand Canyon. The Coronado Expedition ended with failure from not having found the Seven Cities of Gold.

Starting in 1610 the Spaniards changed their tactics with trying to subdue and control the Native Americans. They decided instead of fighting with them to convert them to Christianity through the use of missionaries. In 1629 Franciscan missionaries arrived in the Hopi lands of Arizona. In honor of their patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, they named the mountains to the north of present day Flagstaff, the San Francisco Peaks.

In 1692 the best known of all the missionaries, Father Eusebio Francisco, better known as Father Kino, started work and founded the Guevavi mission. He became known as the "Padre on Horseback." He helped to introduce new crops and cattle into Arizona. He established the Tumacacori Mission, north of Nogales and laid the foundation for the San Xavier del Bac Mission on the outskirts of present day Tucson. After his death Spanish development came to a halt.

Arizona history took a large turn in the 1800's through Mexico declaring its independence from Spain and then the Mexican War. Mexico gained control of Arizona after declaring and fighting for its independence from Spain. After Mexico gained control of Arizona there were few settlers other than U. S. mountain men. In the U. S. war with Mexico, which became known as the Mexican War, Mexico relinquished the area north of the Gila River after signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to end the war in 1848. Two years later this area, including what is now Arizona and New Mexico, became the U. S. Territory of New Mexico. In 1850 the U. S. purchased the area south of the Gila River to the present boarder with Mexico through the Gadsen Purchase.

Despite attacks by Native Americans many men searching to make their fortunes came prospecting. Gold, silver, copper, and other minerals having been found drew many settlers while others came in order to acquire large areas of land for farming. New towns came up around the mines and forts were built to help protect the people from the Native Americans.

Beginning in 1856 the history of Arizona began changing as the settlers made petitions to become a separate territory from New Mexico. After initial rejections, concern with California railroad routes and the Civil War finally got the petition passed. Representative James H. Ashley of Ohio put the Arizona Organic Act before the House of Representatives in 1862. After being approved by both houses of Congress, President Abraham Lincoln signed it in 1863.

Arizona becoming a territory led to the next step in its history of trying for statehood. In 1910, the Enabling Act was passed, allowing both Arizona and New Mexico to become states. This Act set up the procedure for convening a convention in Arizona to draft a constitution and for Arizona to become a state. Under the terms of the Enabling Act, the planned constitution had to be approved by Congress, President Taft, and ratified by the voters of Arizona. After the proposed constitution was sent to Congress, President Taft refused to sign it unless a clause permitting judges to be recalled was removed. The clause was removed and the constitution was signed by President Taft. Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912. After elections were held, the newly elected Governor George W. P. Hunt called the 1st Arizona State Legislature into session, in which one of its first acts was to replace the judicial recall in the Arizona Constitution.